Ons is an archipelago located at the entrance to the Ría de Pontevedra, serving as a bulwark of it. It covers 2,171 hectares of sea and 470 hectares of land, for a total of 4,458 km2. Its coordinates are: latitude 42º 22′ north and longitude 8º 56′ west. It is located in the Rías Baixas and due to social reasons—and not proximity—, it belongs to the municipality of Bueu, in the province of Pontevedra (Galicia, Spain), specifically the parish of Beluso, from where the former settlers were from. This archipelago is comprised of Ons Island (414 ha) and several islets: Onza, Centolo and Freitosa. Ons Island measures 5.9 km long by 1.3 km wide, with a plateau-like profile (its highest point is the Ons Lighthouse, at 128 m); it’s 4 km away from mainland Spain.
Since 2002, Ons Island has been part of the Atlantic Islands of Galicia Marine-Terrestrial National Park, but in the past, it and the other islands were pirate havens. They have always been inhabited, and at present, they have a permanent population of 78, according to the 2010 Census.
There are two ways to visit Ons Island: by private boat, in which case you’ll need to apply for an anchoring permit, or by ferry in summer, weekends in May and Easter. Aboard these catamarans, you can take in the majesty of the Ría de Pontevedra, where different species of algae and fishes and rock formations can be found.
On Ons Island, Casa Acuña has a guest house with 20 twin/double rooms (with en suite bathroom) and 6 apartments—each with two bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen, living room and outdoor area. They can be booked on a daily, weekly or monthly basis; the rate will depend on the length of stay.
